04 Dont Want to be Seperated
by innocent passerby
Summary: chapter 1 of my first Hagaren chapter fic. From the AlEd 25 Titles. WARNING: Episode 51 spoilers!No summary because of spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

Edward returned to munich, taking a walk, head downcast at finding nothing.. he hears a little voice behind him, "Niisan! Niisan!" it calls out. Edward buries his hands further into his pockets, _I won't even look this time, it's happened so many times before. It's another little boy calling for another older brother. This has nothing to do with me, so I won't even look... no matter how familiar it sounds..._

The voice persists, "Niisan! Wait up, NIISAN!!!" Edward still walks on, forcing his eyes closed and forcing the voice out of his head._ Al's on the other side of the gate, that's what I have been trying to study... a way to return to him. I shouldn't even give these farces credit. _

Edward's steps hasten slightly, but he is caught off guard by a sudden impact to his back. He turns, angered "Hey you! .... A...Aru?"

The younger boy backs off slightly, letting the elder turn around before he throws himself into his arms. "Niisan! It's really..." he weakens slightly, eyes growing large and fearful. He stares at the older man infront of him before he fades, he sees his lips moving, but hears nothing. his head aches as massive amounts of information flood into him. He can't concentrate, his body convulses and he loses all control.

Edward screams out Al's name over and over, trying to get his attention. He fails. He lifts the small boy into his arms, staring in horror as the body erupts into seizures. He holds the boy close to his chest and runs as fast as he can to the home he shares with his father.

Edward kicks the door openen, feeling helpless as he notices the blood trickling down from the boy's nose, dribbling down his cheek and ear to splatter on the floor. Edward screams for his father's aid as he rests the boy on the couch. _This boy, even if there was no chance, the resemblance is uncanny. Could it really be... _Edward pushes the thoughts aside, not wanting to give himself too much hope.  
  
Hohenheim rushes to the room to his son's side. He recognizes the child immediately, but he says nothing. He goes to the kitchen, fetching a wet cloth to wipe the blood away. He presses the cloth to the boy's forehead, then turns to grip Edward's shoulder. "Edward... listen to me."  
  
Edward stares at the boy for a moment, it seems that the seizures have subsided for now. He looks up at his father, feeling completely helpless for once. He is prepared to do anything that his father requests of him.  
  
"I'm going to go get a doctor. You need to stay here, by his side. If he regains consciousness, talk to him. Make him drink a little bit of water. I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
"But what can I..."

"Just stay by his side. He'll need you here when he wakes up." With that, the father leaves his son in charge, he does not even stay to hear farther questions.

Edward paces around the room a few times, then pulls up a chair to sit next to the couch. He takes the boy's hand in his own, watching closely for any change in condition.

One hour passes, then two, then three. Edward can feel the strain of sitting still in his shoulders and neck, but he remains at the boy's side. He can feel the tug of sleepiness on him, and his head starts to drop. Within the fourth hour, the silence of the house is disturbed by Edward's quiet snores.

_Edward hears that nostalgic voice, "Niisan! Look, I found this kitten outside in the rain. It couldn't have possibly taken care of itself..." _

_Edward sees the scared pout on the boy's face. He can't possibly deny that voice anything, so he kneels down and pets the kitten's head. He nods and stands, taking the boy's hand in his own. "Let's take him inside and get it something to drink."  
  
Edward is rewarded by a bright smile and a hug. "Thank you so much, Niisan! I love you!"_

_Edward nods his head sagely, returning the smile. "I love you too, Aru." He leads the boy back in home, stopping infront of the fireplace. "Keep him warm here..."  
  
Edward walks to the kitchen... _

_He hears the voice again, calling just like before. "Niisan! Niisan!" This time when he looks, he doesn't see anyone there. No matter how hard he searches, he can't find the voice. It sounds different, "Niisan! Niisan!" like it is not speaking at him, but speaking around him. _

Edward jumps when the hand touches his knee. He sits up straight, staring blankly at first, but his attention is snapped back when he hears that voice, "Niisan? Are you alright...? You were sleeping, I'm sorry I woke you... but you are my Niisan, right?"

Edward stares at the boy, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he doesn't look mad. He looks a little curious, a little scared, and a little sad.

"I remember... we were trying to bring Kaasan back. You... You bound my soul to the armor... That's what happened, I couldn't remember for so long... but when I found you... I remembered..."  
  
Edward stares, still silent, still in disbelief.

"I still don't understand. You were there after you put me there... you only lost your right arm. How am I like this then, if you put me in the armor...?" The boy looked down at his hands, his face riddled with confusion. He reaches one of those hands out and takes hold of Edward's right hand, a smile spreading over his face. "Even though I feel so confused, I finally found you. I've been looking for you for so long..."  
  
Edward swallows a lump in his throat. He shakes his head a little, then he puts his left hand on the boy's face. He tilts his head up and stares at his eyes. After a moment of seaching his eyes, he smiles a little. "Aru... It's really you, isn't it? I've been searching for a way back to you too." Edward leaned down to kiss Al's forehead tenderly. "I've missed you so much..." Edward lets go of Al's cheek, putting his arm around him and pulling him close for a hug. He closes his eyelids over the tears threatening to fall.  
  
"Niisan... I've missed you too. How did you get so big, Niisan?" Alphonse closes his eyes too, hugging the young man tightly.

He hears a slight laugh, then the hug is broken. "Aru... you don't remember, do you? You said it yourself that you only remembered the armor after you touched me, right? That was when you had a seizure and passed out... that must be what happened..." Edward frowns a little and moves farther back. "That worries me..."  
  
"I remember starting to transmute Kaasan. Now I remember waking up in the suit of armor that was in the shed, and seeing you in a puddle of blood... and after that, it's a blank."

"You have some kind of amnesia... It must be from your body being behind the gate for so long..." Edward's eyes narrow slightly, he's looking away from his brother. He fixes his gaze on the patterns on the couch... he's trying to contemplate what happened.  
  
"What do you mean, Niisan?" Al's voice sounds beautifully innocent. It brings Edward back to the present. Al's head is tilted ever-so-slightly to the side, a small and curious pout is on his face.

"Eh? Oh... Nevermind about that now, it doesn't matter right now anyway. You're here. That's all that matters." Edward smiles a little again, taking Al's hand in his own, squeazing it softly.

"Okay..." Alphonse drops the subject, letting his brother hold his hand. The pain in his head lingers from before, but it only feels like a mild headache. He feels happy to be here by his brother's side. It's how things should be... He'll miss his friends back at home, but it's only a shadow compared to the feeling of missing his big brother. It's the first time that he's felt this complete since he awoke in that strange place, alone except for a girl named Rose and her baby.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost midnight by the time Hohenheim finally returned to the Elric residence. When he arrived, the living room was empty. He lead the Doctor into the silent house, asking him to wait in the kitchen while he went to find his sons. He found them in the first place he looked, Edward's bedroom. The brothers were a heartwarming sight, the older on his back with the younger laying against his side with limbs intermingled.

Hohenheim approached the bed and placed a reluctant hand over Edward's left shoulder. "Edward," he was speaking softly so the younger one could continue his rest, "I've brought a doctor. He's an old friend and I think he willl understand our unique situation best."

Edward opened groggy, gold eyes when he heard the deep voice of his father. He stretched out slightly, his hold on Al tightening a little bit. "Give me a minute, I've got to move without waking him up..."

Hohenheim could hear it in Edward's voice. His son was just as worried about the seriousness of Al's condition as he was. It was amazing how much Edward had matured since he first came to live with him. Hohenheim gave a single nod, then walked out of the bedroom.

Edward tried hard to slip from Al's grasp without disturbing his slumber. It was harder than he expected. Every time he tried to move away, Al would just grip him tighter. When he thought he was finally getting free, he heard Al moan in protest. He immediately tensed up when he saw grey-brown eyes staring up at him with a mild sense of betrayal.

"Niisan, where are you going?" Al asked, the pout was audible as well as visual. It was a thing Edward had learned to pick up on while Al had been in the armor body. It seemed so long ago.

"I'm going to go to the other room, but I want you to stay in here and get more sleep." Edward sat up and pushed Al's bangs out of his face with his left hand. He could feel Al's eyes trying to burn through him with offended curiousity.

"I want to go with you, Niisan... please?" Al sat up with Edward, but when he saw the stern look in his brother's eyes, he turned his gaze downwards. He fixed his stare on the sheet bunching in his small hands.

"No, Al. I'll be right back, I promise. Just go back to sleep..." Edward paused when he noticed little beads of liquid falling down from Al's face, leaving grey spots on the bundled, white fabric of the bedsheets. Edward held his breath, the sight of his brother's silent tears disarmed his arguement. "Al... don't cry..."

For many seconds, the only sound in the room was Al's sniffling. Edward couldn't form what to say next. Al was the one who finally broke the speech barrier. "Niisan... don't go. Let me go with you, please?" When Al looked up, his eyes were a little puffy and red, "I don't want to be alone anymore; Not even for a minute."

Edward's sigh was deep and full of defeat. "Fine. I really would rather you not come with me, but I know how you feel. I don't want to be seperated from you for any length of time either," Edward pressed his left hand on Al's shoulder, squeazing softly. "I promise you, if you let me go take care of this, I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll just be in the next room; you can call my name and I'll come running. I won't leave this house without coming to get you first."

Alphonse sniffled a couple more times and nodded his head. "Okay, Niisan. I trust you. I'll be sitting right here until you come back."

Edward smiled a little, leaning down to kiss Al's cheek before he got up to join his father and the mysterious doctor in the other room. He snuck a last glance over his shoulder before shutting the bedroom door behind him.

Hohenheim stood to welcome Edward into the conversation. "Doctor, this is my son, Edward; Edward, this is an old colleague of mine. I've explained what I know about the situation already," Hohenheim returned to his seat, "but you're going to have to fill him in on the details."

Edward looked at the new man, glaring slightly in his usual hard-to-trust manner. He straightened up and held his head a little higher when the Doctor left his seat to approach him.

"Ah yes, Edward, I've heard a lot about you, it's good to finally meet you. There's a lot I want to ask you, but let's focus on the matter at hand. Your father tells me that you brought home a boy who was suffering from some sort of fit this last afternoon. He's also mentioned that this child reminds you of your brother?"

Edward's lips pursed slightly and he looked over to his father for some sort of hint how he should answer. He didn't know this man, and he felt he couldn't quite trust someone just because his father worked with him. Hohenheim, however, was paying more attention to the cup of tea infront of him than the conversation taking place.

"Yes. I brought Al home yesterday afternoon." Edward gave in and answered. His voice was grounded and he sounded sure of himself.

On the Doctor's face, a smile was shown. The Doctor turned and returned to the table, extending a hand out to a chair infront of him and beside his father. "Please, Edward, won't you come sit with us and enjoy some tea?"

The air in the room seemed to lighten up slightly, feeling less like an exam hall and more like a group of peers. Edward nodded his head slightly, it was the closest thing to a formal bow as Edward would allow from himself. When he went to Hohenheim's side and took a seat, the Doctor followed.

"You say this boy is your brother, didn't you? Is this the same brother that you restored, body and spirit, on the other side?" The Doctor lifted the tea kettle from the center of the table and poured some into the empty cup next to it before pushing it towards Edward.

Edward felt his face heat up at the mention of the "other side." He couldn't tell whether this Doctor's tone sounded convinced or amused. It seemed that every word he'd heard from this man's mouth had an air of light-heartedness. It sounded a little too carefree for something this serious.

"I can tell, I hit the nail on the head. You don't have to be shy, Ed, your father is very open with me. I'm a little disappointed, your father told me how opinionated you are and I've barely heard a full sentence!"

The Doctor's laught tore into him like a hot knife through butter. Edward was begining to feel frustrated by this guy's attitude and by his father's silence. It wasn't like him to feel this intimidated, but this was something important.

"I'm not here to discuss me. I'm here to make sure Al's alright. If you're not willing to keep to the subject, I'm going to take him to someone else." Edward maintained the clinical tone he'd developed before. His eyes narrowed slightly, daring the doctor to challenge him.

"Oh, but who would you take your little brother to? There's not another Doctor in this country who knows about the fate and the story of you and your brother. I'm on your side Ed, I'm--"

"It's Edward." Edward interrupted nonchallantly, lifting his tea up to take a taste. he cursed himself inwardly for reminding himself of that cocky, bastard Colonel Mustang.

"Alright, Edward, I'm just as concerned with your brother's well-being as you and your father are. If it's any consolation at all, I am a Doctor of psychology."

Edward slammed his cup down onto the table, some of the contents splashed over the rim. "Oh, really?" Edward's hands were shaking slightly as he stood up, glaring down at down at the surprised faces of hte Doctor and of his father. Edward directed his next comments to Hohenheim, he was trying hard to keep his voice quiet so al couldn't hear, "This guy just thinks you're a loony old coot! How in Hell do you think he can help at all?!"

Before either could respond, Edward had knocked the kitchen chair over and was already in his bedroom, gathering Al and some of his things.

"Niisan?" Al stared wide-eyed at his infuriated brother who was throwing things into his suit case. "Is there something wrong?"

"We're going. We need to leave, now. I'll explain later." Edward threw in a couple of his older outfits; the ones that he'd worn when he first returned to the world on the other side of the gate.

"Where are we going, Niisan?" Al pushed himself off the bed and walked over to Edward's side. He started to help organize Edward's sloppy packing.

"I don't know yet, I'll decide when we get there, I guess." Edward ignored the voice of his father calling his name from the other side of the bedroom door.

"I heard a bang, and then loud voices. Is someone mad, Niisan?" Alphonse closed Edward's first suit case and pushed it up on it's side.

"Yeah, me. I'll explain it later, I promise." Edward finished up his second suitcase and handed it to Al. "Sorry, I've only got one hand I can carry a suit case in. Is this too heavy for you?"

Al took the suitcase from Edward and tested it. He shook his head, "I can carry it for you." Al found himself looking down at Edward's right arm, he'd noticed it hangling limply at his side before, but he didn't really think much of it. He could see the offwhite color of the prostetic arm.

"Thanks Al. Let's go out the window, it's faster. Stay next to me, hold onto my coat or something, don't lag behind." Edward rushed to his window, opened it, and looked out. It was only about three feet from the ground. He walked back over to Al. "Climb on the window-sill, leave the suitcase here, I'll give it to you when you're on the ground."

Al did as he was told, lead by his brother's hand. Before Edward could help him get down, Al had already jumped. Edward sighed with a grin and he sent the two suit cases after A;, then jumped down himself.

Edward ran as fast as he could without leaving Al behind, heading towards the train station.

Meanwhile, Hohenheim gave up reasoning with Edward. He kicked the door down, then stared at the dismemberment of the closet and the opened window. The Doctor approached behind him and let out a long whistle.

"You're right... he is a handful. We should go find them before he does something too rash." The Doctor patted Hohenheim on the back, walking back into the other room to gather his things. "Any idea where they would be going?"

Hohenheim thought about it for a second, then it came to him. His eyes widened slightly, "Transylvania."

"Transylvania? Why would they be going there?"

"Edward was trying to build a machine that would open up the gate and get them back to the other side of the gate..."

"A machine, eh? Well, sounds good enough to me. Let's get to the train station." The Doctor went into Hohenheim's room to help pack Hohenheim's luggage.

"There's no time for that, Nicholas. Let's just go to the train station." Hohenheim walked to the front door, waiting for the Doctor to follow him.

"Do you think I should have told him?" The Doctor sighed, grabbing his only bag.

"Yes. This may have been avoided."

--

"Niisan, have you decided where we're going yet?" Al broke the silence of the small train compartment.

"Huh?" Edward looked over at his brother. He had been thinking. He nodded his head, "Yeah, I have. We're going to Transylvania."

"Transylvania? Where's that?" Al was still fixing his eyes on Edward. He saw the toothy grin he was familiar with. "It's not too far. There's something there I've been meaning to try out..."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a long train ride from Munich to Transylvania and Alphonse had refused to goto sleep at first, thinking conversation was the better option anyway. They'd talked about how things were going in Rizenbul without Edward around, and Edward shared that he had been living with their father for the past three years. It was hard to believe that it had been that long since they'd been together. Alphonse was eager to hear more about their father and Edward was curious to know how much Alphonse remembered about being in the armor.

"Why were you living with dad? You always got so mad when I asked about him, so I thought you hated him." Alphonse had worked himself into a cozy position in the corner between the back of the seat and the wall below the train window. His knees were brought up to his chest, small, brown-shoed feet were leaving little streaks of foreign dirt over the previously spotless seat.

"Yeah, I was really pissed at him, but I guess I can tolerate him now. I didn't have anywhere else to go and he didn't ask any questions when I showed up at the door." Edward had his left arm propped up on the armrest, his right was resting limply in his lap.

Alphonse's hazel-grey eyes shone brightly with childish curiousity. He looked contemplative, trying to decide what questions he wanted to ask first about this man he never knew. "What's he like? What does his voice sound like? Does he like the same kinds of food we do? Is he nice? Is he handsome?"

"Eh? One question at a time, alright? I can't keep up if you don't give me time to answer..." Edward lifted his left had up to scratch the side of his head; it was an old habit he had since he was little. "I guess he looks okay, he's tired all the time and I can only see half his face 'cause of the beard. I guess he's not mean or anything... um, what else did you ask about? Oh, he sounds about as tired as he looks, all raspy-voiced and tired. We never really talk much..." Edward turned his attention from watching Alphonse to look out of the window. He watched what little he could see of black silhouettes of trees zip past in their midnight canvas. There was an occassional radio tower with bright, flickering red dots that made the stars seem dull in comparison. It was one of the things that made Edward feel most homesick; dimly lit skies, the heavy feel of the air, and seeing happy families.

"Tell me more, I want to hear all about it. Do you have any funny stories?" Alphonse let his feet drop off onto the floor of the train, leaning over to see what had fascinated his brother. When he couldn't see anything, he squinted his eyes. When he still saw nothing, he fell back into the seat and started to kick his legs. "Well? Do you have any stories, Niisan?"

Edward straightened slightly and looked over at Alphonse, his expression was quizical. "Huh? Did you ask me something?" It was hearing the word 'Niisan' that had finally gotten his attention.

"Yeah, I asked if you had any funny stories about dad." Alphonse had been pouting when Edward first looked over, but he couldn't hold the face. He was still so excited about being there with his brother, and about finally hearing about his father. Alphonse was leaning towards Edward in expectant readiness.

"Funny stories... I guess we've had some funny stuff happen. Well, nothing really funny... we never talked a lot, and he wasn't home most of the time. Hm, there was one time where he left for a trip and said he would be gone for about a month. He came home a week early, and it was in the middle of the night. I didn't know it was him, and when I heard the door know shake, I took out the hand gun that he had in the drawer and he nearly shat himself when he opened the door and saw the gun aimed at him..."

Alphonse's eyes were wide with suspense. Those eyes still seemed so young and intrigued by the story. "You held a gun at dad? What happened next?"

"Eh? Nothing happened. He just smiled and said that I didn't need a gun to protect myself from an old man like him." Edward shrugged his shoulder. Alphonse leaned back against the seat once more with a mild look of disappointment. "Look, Aru. You should probably get some sleep, anyway. It'll be morning pretty soon.

"I'm not sleepy yet, and I want to talk more." Alphonse was lying and they both knew it. Edward could see him struggling not to yawn. Alphonse sat up a little straighter and made an attempt to look as not tired as he possibly could.

"Don't try to fool me, Aru. I want you to get some sleep. I don't want to have a sick Aru to take care of." Edward stood and reached in to the overhead compartment, pulling out a blanket and tossing it in Al's direction. The blanket landed over Al's head, covering his face,

When the blanket was pulled down, Edward grinned at his pouting brother.

"Can't I sleep closer to you? I don't want to feel like I'm alone..." The edges of Alphonse's eyes started to water and it made Edward's heart melt.

Edward sat down on the train seat again and frowned a little. "Aru, you're not alone and I'm not going to let you be alone anymore. If you're still uncomfortable, go ahead and come over here. You can use my lap as a pillow." The years of building up an emotional barrier came tumbling down as Edward witnessed the slight quiver of Alphonse's bottom lip. All it took to remedy this was to give in and let Alphonse sleep close.

Alphonse's pout broke into a pleased grin and he stood immediately to join Edward in the compact seat. He beamed up at his disgruntled older brother, then laid down on his side, curling his body so that he could fit. He laid his head in Edward's lap, smiling peacefully. He sighed happily when he felt a warm hand start idly petting his hair.

"Now, goto sleep, Aru. You don't have to worry about being alone anymore. Just sleep..." Edward said gently, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I'll take the first watch and stay up while you sleep."

"Mmph," Alphonse replied groggily and brought his hand up to rest it near his head on Edward's knee. Alphonse was indeed very tired and the sound of Edward's voice helped him fall fast asleep.

Edward smiled and listened to the sound of Alphonse's steady breathing. He didn't stop feeling the soft, short hair. Finally, they were together and he'd be damned before he let anyone screw it up. There was only one thing left; getting back to the other side.

---

Edward was starting to doze when he felt a violent thrashing on his legs. He grumbled as he looked to see what the commotion was, but his ill humor ended as instantaneously when he saw the blood smeared over the blueish lips of Alphonse. He straightened up,panicking as he desperately tried to revive Alphonse from his seizure state. "Aru! Aru, hold on, Aru..." Edward cradled the convulsing body to his chest. "Please, Aru... snap out of it!" He rocked back and forth, slowly, glancing down and feeling sick to his stomach when he saw Al's eyes flutter open and closed, exposing white, rolling eyes. Edward shifted slightly, his stare fixated on Al's face. Ed curled his arm around Al, so he could touch Al's cheek a little, causing Alphonse's gaping mouth to close just a little.

"Please, Alphonse... please, come back to me..." Edward held Al's still-shaking form for the eternity of ten minuted before he noticed the tears falling from his eyes and into the messy, bronze hair. "Shit, Aru... stop it..." He closed his eyes, his jaw was clenched tight. A few minutes after, Alphonse suddenly stopped shaking.

Edward snuffed loudly and opened his eyes again. Alphonse's head was hanging down at what looked to be a very uncomfortable angle. When Edward tilted it back up, it fell limply against his chest. Edward swallowed hard, leaning his own head down and listening for breath. He sighed in relief upon hearing the soft breath. Edward squeazed the limp body to his chest once more, whispering into the cinnamon hair, "Aru, good boy. Stay with me this time, don't scare me like that anymore." Edward kissed the top of Al's head and leaned back, relaxing only halfway. He was determined not to sleep another wink until this was resolved. He had to find a doctor...

---

"Are you sure it was them?" Nick asked, propping his feet up on the chair opposite of hime, to the side of Hohenheim.

"Who else would it have been? A blonde boy in his late teens with another blonde boy of his preteens, on their way to Transylvania." Hohenheim's voice was more strained than usal and the wrinkles around his eyes looked a little more pronounced.

"The Conductor said we'll get to Transylvania before them by an hour. That train has a longer route, when they arive, we will already be there waiting. You've just got to get to that boy of yours before he does something stupid." Nick smiled a little, it was sincere and not the usual playful one.

"Yes... it's hard to earn that boy's trust. You shouldn't have expected him to play along." Hohenheim was not smiling. He had his eyes closed and a frown was on his face. His posture was tense and uncomfortable.

"That's why you need to see him first. If we don't get that child, then I can't develop a cure for his condition." Nick, sensing Hohenheim's discomfort, looked out of hte window to see the hazy pinks and oranges of the sunrise.

"I know. You're going to have to take them both when you do. I know Edward, he won't be seperated from Al without a fight." Hohenheim opened his eyes, joining the sunset observation.

"Yeah, I figured as much. They'll be in good hands thoigh." Nick rested his head on his chin, smiling again at the birds in the sky.

"I know, Nick. Let's just hope that they don't find them first..." Nick became noticeably tense at Hohenheim's comment, but he shrugged and laghed a little bit.

"You said your boy isn't stupid, so there's no way he'll trust them." Nick reached up and pushed long, black bangs from his face.

"If he gets desperate, he could think irrationally," Hohenheim sighed again, looking over at Nick finally.

"Let's just hope that Al doesn't have another reaction until we find them."

"Yes, let's hope..." Hohenheim smiled slightly and returned his eyes back to the window. "Oh, thanks again for going through all this with me."

"Don't get sappy, Hohenheim. We've been friends since I first started working at the University. Of course, I'm going with you."

"You've always been such a kind woman, Nicole..." Hohenheim smiled a little more.

"Sh... it's not safe to go around saying such things, you know that..."

"Yes, sorry about that. I won't let it slip again."

Nick smiled and pushed another runaway dreadlock from his eyes.


End file.
